NFL Trade Deadline 2026: Date, Time and Every Trade So Far
The 2026 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET. Here is every trade so far, including the Colts sending Quenton Nelson to Seattle and DeForest Buckner to San Francisco, plus the rumours and rules.
- The 2026 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10, at 4 p.m. ET (9 p.m. GMT, 2:30 a.m. IST on November 11).
- The Colts traded Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks for a 2027 third and a 2028 fifth on October 27, then sent DeForest Buckner to the 49ers for a 2027 fourth.
- Six in-season trades are done as of October 28; Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs and Brian Thomas Jr. are among the reported names, none confirmed.
The 2026 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT, 9 p.m. GMT, or 2:30 a.m. IST on November 11). As of October 28, 2026, the biggest deal so far is the Quenton Nelson trade: the Indianapolis Colts sent the eight-time Pro Bowl guard to the Seattle Seahawks on October 27 for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, according to ESPN's trade tracker.
A few hours later the Colts also sent defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2027 fourth-round pick. That makes six in-season trades so far, and Indianapolis is now the clearest seller in the league. Below: when the deadline falls, every trade to date, who might move next, and how the rules work.
When is the NFL trade deadline in 2026?
The league's 2026 calendar, published on July 7, sets the deadline at 4 p.m. New York time on November 10, as Ravens Wire reported on Yahoo Sports. That is the Tuesday after Week 9, the day after that week's Monday night game. The NFL says calendar dates can change, but DAZN and ESPN list the same day and time.
US clocks go back on November 1, so the deadline falls on Eastern Standard Time. In other zones that works out to:
- 1 p.m. PT, 2 p.m. MT and 3 p.m. CT
- 9 p.m. GMT (21:00 UTC)
- 2:30 a.m. IST on Wednesday, November 11
The deadline used to come after Week 8. NFL owners voted in 2024 to move it back one week, NFL.com reported at the time, partly because it had never been adjusted when the regular season grew to 17 games. Owners turned down a bigger shift because of fears that a later deadline could encourage tanking.
Every 2026 NFL trade so far
As of October 28, 2026, ESPN's tracker lists six in-season trades. No new deal had been reported on October 28 when this was written. In date order:
- Sept. 28, Vikings to Giants: QB J.J. McCarthy for a 2027 fifth-round pick. New York moved after starter Jaxson Dart needed knee surgery.
- Sept. 30, Steelers to Cowboys: CB Joey Porter Jr. for a 2028 second-round pick and a conditional 2027 sixth. The deal ended a long contract standoff, and Dallas announced it on October 1.
- Oct. 7, Eagles to Ravens: C Cam Jurgens and a 2027 seventh for a 2027 fifth and a 2028 second. Baltimore had lost its top three centers to injured reserve.
- Oct. 11, Cardinals to Texans: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 pick in 2024, for a 2027 second-round pick plus a swap of late-round picks. He rejoins his Ohio State quarterback, C.J. Stroud.
- Oct. 27, Colts to Seahawks: G Quenton Nelson for a 2027 third and a 2028 fifth.
- Oct. 27, Colts to 49ers: DT DeForest Buckner for a 2027 fourth, a deal the Colts confirmed.
Reports differ on the late-round picks in the Harrison deal. ESPN's tracker has Arizona adding a 2027 seventh and receiving a sixth. Pro Football Rumors, citing The Ringer's Tom Pelissero, says the final terms were the other way round, with Houston receiving the sixth, and NFL.com's trade grades follow that version. The second-round pick to Arizona is the same in every report.
The Quenton Nelson trade explained
Nelson, 30, was the sixth overall pick in 2018 out of Notre Dame. He has made eight Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro teams, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported. His contract runs out after this season, so the Colts chose draft picks now rather than risk losing him in free agency in March.
CBS Sports reports that Seattle takes on the roughly $9.8 million left on his deal. He is expected to play left guard, which moves 2025 first-round pick Grey Zabel to right guard, the side he played in college. The defending Super Bowl champions are 4-3 after a 20-3 Sunday night win over Kansas City.
The situation in Indianapolis explains the timing. The Colts are 2-5 and fired general manager Chris Ballard a week before the trade. Interim GM Ed Dodds worked for the Seahawks from 2007 to 2016. The team also has no 2027 first-round pick after last season's Sauce Gardner trade with the Jets.
The Buckner deal followed the same logic. He is 32, a three-time Pro Bowler and in the last year of his contract, NFL.com reports. San Francisco drafted him seventh overall in 2016 and traded him to Indianapolis in 2020 for a first-round pick. Yahoo Sports noted that, given his years of service, he would have brought back at most a fifth-round compensatory pick had he left in free agency.
Who could be traded next (reported, not confirmed)
Everything in this section is reporting or analysis, not a completed deal. Trade talk changes quickly in the last two weeks before a deadline.
- Jonathan Taylor, Colts RB: On October 25, ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport named the Packers, Vikings, Broncos and Seahawks among teams that had weighed a deal, Heavy reported. On October 27, Schefter said the Colts do not want to trade Taylor, though he did not rule it out.
- Josh Downs and Grover Stewart, Colts: Schefter named the receiver and the defensive tackle as other Colts who could move, according to Yahoo's live coverage.
- Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars WR: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that several teams believe he could be dealt, and that the Chiefs have been exploring receivers, Bleacher Report noted. Rapoport has also said Kansas City is expected to add a receiver.
- Analyst lists: A Last Word on Sports list on Yahoo names players such as Budda Baker, Tony Pollard, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Khalil Mack as candidates. These are opinions, not reported talks.
On the buying side, NFL.com's Gennaro Filice listed needs for 10 contenders earlier this month, including secondary help for the Bills, a deep threat for the Chiefs and a pass rusher for the Cowboys. The 49ers are 6-1 and the Seahawks 4-3, per NFL.com, and both have already bought.
How the NFL trade deadline works
- Cut-off: Trades must be completed by 4 p.m. ET on November 10. No more trades are allowed until the 2027 league year opens on March 11, 2027, at 4 p.m. ET.
- Still allowed: Teams can sign free agents and claim players on waivers after the deadline.
- Waivers for veterans: After the deadline, released veterans with four or more accrued seasons must pass through waivers instead of choosing their next team. Claims go in reverse order of the standings.
- Salary: The new team pays the rest of the player's salary. Signing-bonus money not yet charged to the cap stays with the old team as dead money.
- Picks: Only 2027 and 2028 picks can be traded, which is why every deal this season uses those years.
These points come from explainers by Last Word on Sports and DAZN. A reported trade is not final until the player passes a physical; the Harrison deal, for example, was still pending a physical a day after it was agreed.
Key dates ahead
- This week (Week 8): Seattle's next game is a Monday night meeting with the Bears, per NBC 5, the first game Nelson could play for Seattle.
- Nov. 1: US clocks go back, so deadline times shift against GMT and IST.
- Nov. 10, 4 p.m. ET: Trade deadline.
- Nov. 11: Waiver rules for veterans with four or more seasons take effect.
- Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Day NFL games.
- Feb. 14, 2027: Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
- March 11, 2027: Trading reopens as the new league year and free agency begin.
How to follow the NFL trade deadline
ESPN's tracker and NFL.com's trade grades are updated as deals land. Insiders such as Schefter, Rapoport and Pelissero usually report trades on X before teams confirm them, so check the clubs' own announcements for final terms.
Our take
Based on the reporting above, the Colts have set the early market for expiring veterans: mid-round picks, not first-rounders. With Nelson and Buckner both due to hit free agency, Indianapolis improved on the compensatory picks it could have expected, while Seattle and San Francisco added starters without long-term cost.
The bigger question is Taylor. He is signed beyond this season, the Colts reportedly want a steep price, and Schefter's reporting is that they would rather keep him. Until a deal is confirmed by the teams, treat every Taylor report as a rumour. We will update this page as trades are completed.
Frequently asked questions
When is the NFL trade deadline in 2026?
The deadline is Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET, the day after Week 9 ends. That is 1 p.m. PT, 9 p.m. GMT and 2:30 a.m. IST on November 11. The NFL says its calendar dates can change, so check the league or team sites closer to the day.
What did the Seahawks give up for Quenton Nelson?
Seattle sent the Colts a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick on October 27, 2026. CBS Sports reports the Seahawks also take on about $9.8 million left on his expiring contract. Nelson is expected to play left guard.
Can NFL teams make trades after the deadline?
No. After 4 p.m. ET on November 10, trading stops until the 2027 league year opens on March 11, 2027. Teams can still sign free agents and claim players on waivers.
Will the Colts trade Jonathan Taylor?
Nothing is confirmed. ESPN's Adam Schefter said on October 27 that the Colts do not want to trade Taylor, though that does not rule it out. Earlier reports linked the Packers, Vikings, Broncos and Seahawks to him.
Sources
- 2026 NFL trade deadline updates: DeForest Buckner, Quenton Nelson on the move, ESPN
- Colts trade DeForest Buckner to 49ers for 2027 fourth-round pick, NFL.com
- NFL trade grades: Evaluating every deal made ahead of the 2026 deadline, NFL.com
- NFL news roundup: Latest league updates from Tuesday, Oct. 27, NFL.com
- NFL owners extend trade deadline to follow Week 9 games of 2024 NFL season, NFL.com
- 2026 NFL trade deadline: 10 needs for 10 contenders, NFL.com
- NFL sets 2026 trade deadline, roster cutdown, and 2027 free agency dates, Yahoo Sports (Ravens Wire)
- NFL news, live updates: Colts trade Quenton Nelson to Seahawks, send DeForest Buckner to 49ers, Yahoo Sports
- 2026 NFL Trade Deadline Information and Top Trade Candidates, Yahoo Sports (Last Word on Sports)
- Quenton Nelson trade: Seahawks acquire All-Pro guard from Colts for two draft picks, CBS Sports
- Seahawks acquire All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson in trade with Colts, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
- Seahawks Trade: Quenton Nelson Deal Casts Doubt on Jonathan Taylor Pursuit, Heavy
- NFL Trade Deadline 2026 Predictions Based on Latest Rumors, Bleacher Report
- Cardinals, Texans Complete Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade, Pro Football Rumors
- Texans complete trade with Cardinals for WR Marvin Harrison Jr., ESPN
- Ravens acquire center Cam Jurgens in trade with Eagles, ESPN
- Steelers end standoff, trade Joey Porter Jr. to Cowboys, ESPN
- When is the NFL trade deadline? Date, time and how it works, DAZN
How we wrote this
GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 18 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 28, 2026, and we update the post when they change.
